This is the announcement for Geography Monstrosity 4: Shotgun shell loaded with Tajik place names.

This fourth annual all-geography-tossup tournament will be held at 10 pm on Friday, May 25th, 2012, at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta. (This is, as usual, after the conclusion of HSNCT scrimmages.)

The submission deadline is midnight on Sunday, May 20th; before that I will be busy editing HSNCT itself. Please don't use this as an excuse to put off writing until the last minute.

Format: I will write an editor's packet of 24 tossups. If 10 or fewer people wish to play, we will have a single-room shootout format like last year's. If 20 or more people with to play, we'll form teams and have a normal tournament format. If 11-19 people wish to play, I will make up some kind of ad hoc format.

The style will be similar to the previous 3 sets, to include 20-point superpowers, 15-point powers, and the absence of minus-fives. The distribution will be somewhat different from last year's (to encourage people to sign up first and deal with team-formation drama later).

-United States and Canada-Latin America and the Caribbean-Europe-Africa-Asia-Australia and Oceania-Other (including but not limited to: Antarctica, minor islands, and astrogeography that would make Seth Teitler shed a single tear)

All over this. Will start writing packet on the Magical History Tour. Look for some NHBB team to show up. That includes you, Raynell. No lame excuses like you're stranded on Rockall.

David MaddenRidgewood (NJ) '99, Princeton '03Founder and Director: International History Bee and Bowl, National History Bee and Bowl (High School Division), International History Olympiad, United States Geography Olympiad, US History Bee, US Academic Bee and Bowl, National Humanities Bee, National Science Bee, International Academic Bowl.Adviser and former head coach for Team USA at the International Geography Olympiad

David MaddenRidgewood (NJ) '99, Princeton '03Founder and Director: International History Bee and Bowl, National History Bee and Bowl (High School Division), International History Olympiad, United States Geography Olympiad, US History Bee, US Academic Bee and Bowl, National Humanities Bee, National Science Bee, International Academic Bowl.Adviser and former head coach for Team USA at the International Geography Olympiad

So, I actually won't be at this, but would be keenly interested in playing via skype from halfway around the world. Is that possible? Also, what's the format, and if I were to play, do I need a team? How many packets are there for this? I presume, Jeff, you can enlighten me at my nuptuals on Saturday, but thought I'd throw the general queries out there.

David MaddenRidgewood (NJ) '99, Princeton '03Founder and Director: International History Bee and Bowl, National History Bee and Bowl (High School Division), International History Olympiad, United States Geography Olympiad, US History Bee, US Academic Bee and Bowl, National Humanities Bee, National Science Bee, International Academic Bowl.Adviser and former head coach for Team USA at the International Geography Olympiad

nationalhistorybeeandbowl wrote:So, I actually won't be at this, but would be keenly interested in playing via skype from halfway around the world. Is that possible?

You'd lose all your buzzer races due to delay

Not if I'm second lining Anticosti Island as I did in 2009. Want to take me on, Teevens?

David MaddenRidgewood (NJ) '99, Princeton '03Founder and Director: International History Bee and Bowl, National History Bee and Bowl (High School Division), International History Olympiad, United States Geography Olympiad, US History Bee, US Academic Bee and Bowl, National Humanities Bee, National Science Bee, International Academic Bowl.Adviser and former head coach for Team USA at the International Geography Olympiad

This was really hard, and i did terribly, but it was still mostly fun. The favorite part was just having my questions read. I know i'm not a good question writer, and Jeff did edit them, but it made me feel a little more legitimate compared to all the real players and quizbowl elite surrounding me in that room.

If i do it again, i probably won't play, but i'd be happy to write questions next time.

Yeah, this was fun, even though I didn't do well in my first side event ever (!!!???). I hope everyone enjoyed the questions I wrote. Thanks to Jeff for doing this, and I hope it comes around again next year.

(also what/who was "Thunk")

Jasper LeeUniversity of TennesseeThe Ohio State University '14Solon High School '10